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'The Game' and Record Ratings Make a Winner Out of BET

January 25, 2011 | 11:52
am

"The Game," the comedy about the women involved with the players on a fictional San Diego football team, was a loser when it aired on the CW. The ratings-challeged comedy failed to expand its viewership beyond a devoted fan base and was canceled in 2009.

But a revival this month of "The Game" with the original cast has been a big-time winner for Black Entertainment Television, the urban-oriented cable network that has been criticized since its launch in 1980 by critics who said it perpetuated negative black images and fell way short of being an all-inclusive venue for contemporary African American culture.

More significantly, "The Game," along with its companion romantic comedy "Let's Stay Together," has been a game-changer for BET, ushering in a new positive era for the network after years of controversy and setbacks. Executives say they are capitalizing on the success of the two comedies, using them as a launch pad to develop several more scripted series.